Scenes from the Old and New Testament
Designed by Stephen Adams (1848-1910)
1877
West window, Belhaven United Presbyterian Church (now St. Luke’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Glasgow
See below for commentary [Mouse over the text for links, and click on the images to enlarge them.]
Photographs by Colin Price, and text by Jacqueline Banerjee.
Close-up of figures in the lower part of the window.
Below the symbols of the Holy Ghost, the cross and the Word of God, and the angels giving praise, are (a) Left-hand panel: The Good Samaritan, St Luke X, 30-35, over the Parable of the Sower, St. Luke VIII, 5. (b) Middle panel: Moses and the Brazen Serpent, Numbers XXI, 9, over Moses and the smitten rock, Exodus XVII, 6. (c) Right-hand panel: The Prodigal Son, Luke XV, 20-22, over "The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field," St Matthew XIII, 44.
Set amid floral motifs, these scenes make up a tour de force in which supernatural miracles and Jesus's parables are set into the context of the natural world. With all its manifestations of God's creation and care (providing help and refreshment in the wilderness, for example, or inspiring kindness and forgiveness towards one another), the window is calculated to encourage and uplift the believer — and perhaps even speak to the unbeliever as well.
Bibliography
Galbraith, Iain B. “Always happy in his designs: the legacy of Stephen Adam.” Victorian Web.
Last modified 1 October 2019